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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. press — newspapers
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pop — soda
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. press — to push
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stand — to bear
  17. object — an aim
  18. spell — magic
  19. object — a thing
  20. press — a publisher
  21. spell — letters
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. object — to protest
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com